Several unions marked this Labor Day by either launching or continuing strikes in numerous industries, so let’s spin through the lineup of work stoppages:
Dakkota: UAW members in Michigan began the weekend by airing their displeasure with their union after a month-long strike led to workers voting down four previous proposed agreements. Some workers complained that a fifth version is “the same sellout deal.” These workers have now accused the UAW of ramming a contract through on Labor Day after frightening members with lockout threats. Workers have been quoted as “seething” over the union’s “strong arm” maneuvers and “scare tactics” to achieve Shawn Fain-approved results.
Costco: 150 fleet drivers who unionized in April have authorized a strike after imposing a 90-day deadline for getting a first contract, which has now passed. The Teamsters have apparently not informed members that first union contracts frequently take a year or more to materialize.
Cornell University: 1,200 food service and custodial workers will report back to work this week after a 10-day strike, which led to a tentative agreement that workers ratified on Labor Day. The deal includes 21%-25% pay increases over four years, starting with “an immediate 8.8 % increase.”
Assorted chain hotels: Many travelers did not have a smooth Labor Day weekend due to UNITE HERE-led strikes that took around 10,000 workers off the job at various hotel brands in several markets nationwide.
Currently affected hotels from Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and Honolulu attempted to maintain regular operations during a three-day strike after the current contracts expired on Aug. 31, although more extended strikes could follow.
In particular, Boston saw almost 900 workers walk out at a handful of hotels, with a few dozen more locations remaining under strike threats involving up to 4,500 workers, including housekeepers, front desk agents, bartenders, cooks, and servers.
AT&T: Since mid-August, 17,000 CWA-represented workers have been on strike, impacting customer service and maintenance operations in nine states scattered throughout the Southeast, including large metro areas in Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida. The union claims that AT&T has not bargained in good faith for a new contract, and the company disputes the union’s version of events while citing how AT&T recently reached three other deals to cover 13,000 workers elsewhere in the United States. This CWA strike now enters its third week.
Boeing: 32,000 IAM-represented workers could walk out in Washington and Oregon after a July strike authorization vote over a contract set to expire on Sept. 12. The union wants substantial wage boosts, improved pension and healthcare plans, and the assurance that Boeing will commit to the Puget Sound area to build their next plane. The last time a full-contract negotiation happened between this IAM local and Boeing was in 2008, which saw a nearly 2-month-long strike.
We close with a note on more brewing trouble in Hollywood, where musical negotiation chairs put Teamster-represented casting professionals in the spotlight with a contract expiring on Sept. 30. So far, the union has not held a strike authorization vote. However, that could change at any moment.
